EX-TEMPORE PIRAN 2026

EX-TEMPORE PIRAN 2026-
61st INTERNATIONAL PAINTING EX-TEMPORE | 

29 August‒5 September 2026 | 

Exhibition:
Civic Gallery Piran, 5. 9–18. 10. 2026, 
Monfort Gallery, Portorož, 5. 9.–15. 11. 2026 | 

Award Ceremony:
Tartini Square, Piran, Saturday, 5. 9. 2026, at 8.30 pm.

Ex-tempore Piran is the Piran Coastal Galleries’ event that is most open to the public and visual artists of different generations. It is recognizable for its competitive character and enviably long tradition, which confirms its great popularity in the local and international space.

The Ex-tempore Piran 2026 will begin on Friday, August 28, 2026, with the opening of the exhibition by Julija Brajnik Volčič at the Herman Pečarič Gallery in Piran. She is a student of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana and last year’s recipient of the Young Author Prize at Ex-tempore Piran 2025

On Saturday, August 29th, stamping of painting supports will begin at multiple locations in Slovenia (Portorož, Ljubljana, Celje, Maribor) and Croatia (Rijeka). During the week until September 5, 2026, interesting accompanying events for children and adults will take place, organized by the Piran Coastal Galleries in collaboration with various partners.

This year’s international expert jury consists of: Mojca Grmek, curator and head of the Pivka House of Culture (Slovenia), Rachele D’Osualdo, curator and cultural manager (Italy) and Igor Eškinja, artist and associate professor at APURI Rijeka (Croatia). The jury will select paintings for the exhibition and award numerous prizes, among which the Young Author Prize, the Tartini 2026 Prize and the Grand Prix stand out. Just like last year, Ex-tempore Piran 2026 exhibition will be held at two locations: all awarded and selected artworks will be on display at the Piran Civic Gallery, while the paintings shortlisted by the international jury will be exhibited at the Monfort Gallery in Portorož.

Ex-tempore Piran 2026 will conclude on Saturday, September 5, 2026, when the award ceremony with music performance will take place at Tartini Square at 8:30 PM, directed by Igor Jelen ─ Iggy, vocalist Nuška Drašček. The event will be hosted by Katja Pišot.

We are looking  forward to your participation and you are most welcome to join us!

1. STAMPING

Portorož:
MONFORT GALLERY PORTOROŽ
Obala 8, tel. +386 31 399 347
Opening hours: Saturday, 29. 8. 2026, between 9.00 and 20.00,
from Sunday, 30. 8., to Thursday, 3. 9. 2026, between 9.00 and 12.00 and between 17.00 and 20.00.

Ljubljana:
TRGOVINA ART LJUBLJANA
Rimska 2, tel. +386 1 426 35 78
Opening hours: from Monday, 31. 8., to Thursday, 3. 9. 2026, between 9.00 and 19.00.

TRGOVINA ART LJUBLJANA CITYPARK
Šmartinska 152 G, tel. +386 1 54 100 46
Opening hours: Saturday, 29. 8. 2026, between 8.00 and 21.00,
from Monday, 31. 8., to Thursday, 3. 9. 2026, between 9.00 and 21.00.

Celje:
TRGOVINA ART CELJE CITYCENTER
Mariborska 100, tel. +386 3 492 91 30
Opening hours: Saturday, 29. 8. 2026, between 8.00 and 21.00,
from Monday, 31. 8., to Thursday, 3. 9. 2026, between 9.00 and 21.00.

Maribor:
TRGOVINA ART MARIBOR EUROPARK
Pobreška 18, tel. +386 2 320 38 83
Opening hours: Saturday, 29. 8. 2026, between 8.00 and 21.00,
from Monday, 31. 8., to Thursday, 3. 9. 2026, between 9.00 and 21.00.

Rijeka (Croatia):
PALETA ART
Šime Ljubiča 4a, Rijeka, tel: +385 51 321 361
Opening hours: Saturday, 29. 8. 2026, between 8.30 and 13.00,
from Monday, 31. 8., to Thursday, 3. 9. 2026, between 8.30 and 20.00.

2. ENTRY FEE

Entry fee for participants: 25 € for students up to 26 years of age and
pensioners with a valid document; 15 €, gratis for children up to 15 years
of age. Payment: at the time of submission of the painting.
Each participant is obligated to sign a Declaration of Participation upon registration. For participants under 18 years of age, the Declaration of Participation is obligated to be signed by a legal representative.

3. THEMES

Piran, Tartini, love, sea, harbour, coastal town, saltpans, Istrian landscape, free theme.

 4. NUMBER OF SUPPORTS

Each participant may have a maximum of two supports stamped.
Only one artwork may be submitted. We do not accept graphics and prints.

5. FORMAT OF SUPPORTS

– shortest permitted side: 50 cm
– longest permitted side: 170 cm

6. DATA

Each submitted artwork must be framed and prepared for exhibition (with a hanger).
On the back, the following must be stated: theme, title of work, technique, selling price (gross in €) and the author’s name, surname, address, e-mail and telephone number.
The ex-tempore stamp must be visible.

7. SUBMISSION OF ARTWORKS

At Monfort Gallery Portorož:
from Saturday, 29. 8. 2026 to Thursday, 3. 9. 2026 between 9:00 and 12:00
and between 17:00 and 20:00,
on Friday, 4. 9. 2026, between 9:00 and 13:00.

Mojca Grmek (Slovenia)

Mojca Grmek is a Slovenian art historian, art critic and curator who plays an important role in shaping the field of contemporary visual art in Slovenia. Since 2013, she has been the artistic director and curator of the gallery programme at the House of Culture in Pivka, where she develops exhibition programmes and encourages cooperation between Slovenian and international artists. She has participated in numerous exhibition and curatorial projects, including collaborations with the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) in Ljubljana, and has curated exhibitions by artist collectives such as KOLEKTIVA.

Rachele D’Osualdo (Italy)

Rachele D’Osualdo is an Italian curator and producer active in the field of contemporary visual arts. She graduated in economics and cultural management in Milan and, since 2009, has worked with both artists at the beginning of their creative careers and internationally established practitioners. She is the co-founder and president of a cultural association, has helped coordinate residency programmes for young artists and was a member of the initiative Art Workers Italia. Her work is characterised by bringing together contemporary art, film and communities, as well as by developing projects that promote international cooperation and cultural exchange.

Igor Eškinja (Croatia)

Igor Eškinja (Rijeka, 1975) is a Croatian artist. In 2002, he graduated in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti) in Venice. Since 2001, he has been a member of the Croatian Association of Visual Artists (HDLU) in Rijeka, and between 2005 and 2007 he was a member of the Croatian ssociation of Independent Artists. Since its establishment in 2005, he has collaborated with the Federico Luger Gallery in Milan. Today, he works as an Associate Professor at the Academy of Applied Arts of the University of Rijeka (APURI), where he also lives and works. He has exhibited in numerous galleries, museums and other major contemporary art institutions across Europe and worldwide.